New Castle, Great Island Common (2002-2010): Restoration of rare pitch pine and related habitats. Project has been ongoing since 2002. Project partners include RCCD, Town of New Castle/New Castle Conservation Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and many volunteers.

The Rockingham County Conservation District is involved in a number of habitat restoration projects across a variety of habitats in southeastern New Hampshire. A great example of one of these projects is The Great Island Common restoration, which was our first upland habitat restoration project, beginning in 2002 in partnership with the New Castle Conservation Commission. The Great Island Common is owned by the Town of New Castle and includes a recreation area with a beach and picnic area, as well as important natural habitats such as a coastal overwash pond, sand dunes, and pitch pine forest. Unfortunately, the native habitats have become overrun by invasive plant species such as oriental bittersweet and black swallow-wort, which reduce diversity and threaten the persistence of the native plant communities. Since the project began, the invasive species have been systematically controlled and native species have been planted, beginning with the pitch pine habitat. New plantings included lupine, lowbush blueberry, highbush blueberry, and pitch pine. The native vegetation is now thriving in this area, with hundreds of new pitch pine seedlings establishing on their own where invasive species once predominated.

In the late summer and fall of 2010 the focus of the project has been on reducing invasive species outside of the pitch pine area. The plan includes the use of a skid-steer mounted flail mower and small hand equipment for cutting and stump treating the larger woody invasive species with herbicides. Smaller invasive plants are treated using backpack sprayers to apply low volume foliar applications of herbicides. Once these species have been controlled, additional native vegetation will be planted. This effort will not only benefit the native vegetation, but will enhance the aesthetics, wildlife habitat, and educational opportunities for visitors to the park.